Deaf services and hearing support

Services for deaf or hearing support

Services for Deaf and hearing impaired people are provided through the health and social care partnership. For more information contact NHS - about adult social care

Communication support services for deaf people 

If you need a BSL/English interpreter to access:

• Highland Council Services such as Housing or Council Tax,
• Medical services provided by NHS Highland, or
• CAB or Highland Hospice services

The staff in these organisations should be able to book an interpreter for your appointment. However, if you would like to make sure one is booked you can contact:

Email: communication.support@highland.gov.uk

Text SMS: 07884 731378

Telephone: 01349 886650

All the interpreters we use are either SRLPDC or NRCPD registered, and appointments/meetings are carried out in strict confidence.

We can provide an interpreter for:

• Appointments face-to-face, or online Via Microsoft Teams, (e.g. GP appointment, Highland Council departments, CAB).
• Appointments online via Near Me (NHS), (GP/medical appointment).
• Duty appointments – Face-to-face or online via Microsoft Teams.

Duty appointments are to book a BSL/English Interpreter to;

• Make interpreted phone calls (e.g. to book a GP appointment).
• Translate something from English into BSL (e.g. a letter from the Council).
• Translate something from BSL into English (e.g. an email to the CAB).

Contact the Communication Support Bookings Team and ask for a “Duty” appointment.

All appointments: Please try to request an interpreter as far in advance as possible. It may not be possible to provide an interpreter for on the day requests.

Contact Scotland BSL

BSL users can also contact Highland Council or NHS Highland using Scotland’s on-line BSL video relay interpreting service - Contact Scotland BSL

Sensory impairment services

We have developed a single strategic approach in partnership with other bodies to ensure that community services offered to people who are Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, blind or deafblind are based on good collaborative practice.

For more information, please see Talking sense in the Highlands – a single strategy for sensory needs in the Highlands